What are composting worms?
Composting worms are not your typical garden worm. There are only six types of worms that can be used for creating compost.
What do composting worms eat?
Composting worms eat paper, cardboard, vegetables and fruit scraps.
What can’t they eat?
Meat, dairy, oil, and items that can’t be composted – Iike plastic, glass, and metals. Pineapples have an enzyme that kills worms.
How long does it take to compost with worms?
The more you have, the faster they will compost. Usually with 2 pounds of worms, it takes about 3 months to compost material.
What are the ideal conditions?
The worms need oxygen, moisture, warmth and food.
How much food do I feed the worms?
Worms can eat up to half of their weight in a day. If you have a pound of worms, feed them a pound of food every few days.
How much moisture should I use?
The bedding should be as wet as a damp sponge.
What is bedding?
Bedding is all of the paper products you put in your bin.
I have the bucket o’ worm composter. I’m going to try to raise worms to feed to my reptiles. Can I keep this in a unheated entry room that gets below freezing? Will they freeze or will the compost create enough heat to keep them alive? Thank you, Nick
Hi Nick. Thank you for the comment. I’m sorry about not responding sooner. I would get it in a warmer spot in the house.The freezing temp can slow down your production or kill your worms. I keep worms in my basement. That will been nice even temp over the winter. It will be safer place for them.
Hi Stephen, Thanks for the email. Mine is the ‘Can o worms composter’. It’s round and fairly large. I have access to worms. My question is how do I get started and when should I add the worms? What about onions? We create a gallon of veggie scrap a week.
Thank you,
Nick
…. also how many pounds of worms should I start with a gallon of veggie scraps a week? Thanks, Nick
The smallest amount i would suggest is one pound of worms. Remember the more worms you have the faster they work. I wouldn’t start with a gallon of food scraps at all. All ways start slow and build from there. If you add to much at first you can have problems. At first feed them when the food you had before is almost gone. After a while you can add more stuff.
When you get your worms add the habitat that they come in the worms will start feeling at home right a way.
Hi Nick good questions. The Can o Worms (aka COW) is a neat composting system. as far as i know its the biggest stackable flow through commercially made. At full compasticity it can hold up to 20 pounds of worms. When you set it up read the directions on how to set it up. Add a half a pound of food at first let it sit for a week to up to a month. The more you let it sit the more microbs will be there to feed them. Whatever you decide make sure you keep the bedding moist.
Worms like all different kids of food pumpkins, apples, lettuce, bananas, and yes even onions. The thing is everything breaks down differently. the worms down really eat the food. they have no teeth. What they do eat is the mold from the composting food. Just remember that the smaller you cut it up the faster it will break down.
Greetings. What is the difference between Worms #1 and #2 beside the price. Is it the amount?
Thanks.
Cynthia
Are you asking what the difference between the red wigglers and the European night crawlers?